Left early in the morning and made it to Mt. Townsend Upper Trailhead by 7:15 am. The day started a bit hazy due to forest fires, which unfortunately obscured the views on the way up. The trail is in great shape, with only a couple of easily navigable blowdowns. Wildflowers were still holding strong, and we ended up with about 70 different species in bloom!
Passed up Mt. Townsend summit and headed to the north peak first. The views here were still a bit smoky, but the haze started to lift just enough to get a few glimpses of the surrounding peaks and marine layer clouds. We then made our way back and hit up the official summit, which offered a slightly different perspective on the landscape.
After enjoying the views, we began the descent, ascent, descent, and ascent toward Silver Lake. The lake itself was a serene and picturesque spot, with fish jumping and even more wildflowers lining its shores. Decided to take a quick walk around the lake before heading back to the car.
Miles the Marmot chose to get into the spirit of things by sporting his firefighter costume. A little on the nose, maybe, but you gotta appreciate the commitment.
Overall: 14.39 miles, 4,340 ft, and 5hrs 21mins
Song of the trip: Smoke from a Distant Fire by Sanford-Townsend Band (I mean, could I really pick anything else?)
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